Sponsor
Sharice Davids
Representative · D-KS
Representative · D-KS
The bill expands grant eligibility to meat and poultry processing to boost local capacity, resilience, and food-safety investments—particularly benefiting rural communities—while creating risks of fund diversion, larger firms capturing grants meant for small producers, and continued federal spending without added oversight.
Taxpayers and consumers benefit because increased eligibility for meat and poultry activities can strengthen food supply chain resilience and reduce disruptions that raise consumer prices.
Rural communities and small meat and poultry processors can use program grants to upgrade facilities, expanding local processing capacity and keeping more economic activity local.
Farmers, agricultural workers, and small processors can invest grant funds in food safety upgrades and inspection-related infrastructure, which can improve public health outcomes.
Small producers and independent processors face the risk that larger meat and poultry companies will capture grants, limiting intended equity benefits for the smallest operations.
Rural communities and other agricultural sectors may see funds diverted away from non-meat projects (e.g., produce, distribution), which could leave other resilience needs underfunded.
Taxpayers face continued federal spending under the program with limited change to oversight, which could perpetuate existing administrative issues or inefficiencies.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Allows recipients of the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure program to use funds for activities related to meat and poultry products.
Official title: To direct the Secretary of Agriculture to continue to carry out the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure program, and for other purposes.
Introduced February 17, 2026 by Sharice Davids · Last progress February 17, 2026
Allows recipients of assistance under the American Rescue Plan’s Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure program to use program funds for activities related to meat and poultry products, beginning on the date the law is enacted. It directs the Secretary of Agriculture to continue administering the program as currently carried out while permitting this expanded eligible use of funds to support meat and poultry processing and related infrastructure.